


Reflections

by spotsnclaws



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Do not read if you did not watch the latest episode, Episode: s03 Poupeflekta | Reflekdoll, F/M, Identity Reveal, Post Reflekdoll, kwami buster, kwamibuster spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-10-09 20:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20516003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spotsnclaws/pseuds/spotsnclaws
Summary: It's all fun and games and kwami rotations until Adrien realizes something. Just how did Ladybug's kwami know his real name?SPOILER WARNING: Do not read before seeing Reflekdoll AND Kwamibuster! Will be multiple chapters - tags to be updated as chapters uploaded.





	1. Realization

When he thought back on the day that night, it was with a gentle smile. He had spent time with his friends and Juleka was practically beaming when he told her what a great model she was. Sure, his father had chastised him for being home late and Nathalie, usually at least a specter at Adrien’s dinner, had a cold and was sequestered to her room. But he had been Mister Bug today and saved Paris in a way that he had never had the chance to before. That in itself was exciting. 

Looking at Plagg wolf down more camembert, Adrien’s smile widened.

“Have fun with Ladybug today?”

Plagg didn’t bother him a glance, just smacked his lips with each chew. “Yeah huh.”

Adrien laughed and stared at the ceiling. He could feel his eyes tire and he almost closed them when Plagg spoke up again.

“How did…uff that was a lot of cheese…hehe…how did you like Tikki? Isn’t she the _greatest_?”

Nodding, Adrien rolled to his side to face Plagg. “She was nice. Funny though…I don’t think I’ve heard you speak as positively about anything except camembert. Are you crushing on Ladybug’s kwami, Plagg?

Somehow Plagg had found yet another piece of camembert. He stopped short of shoving that one fully into his open mouth. “I am not ‘crushing’ on Tikki. Me and my sugar cube were made for each other. Literally. Though I do hold a grudge for her taking my cheese from your pocket.”

At that, Adrien rolled his eyes. “What a charmer.”

It was a soft moment. The stars dotted the Paris sky outside his windows and Adrien’s bed was a warm cocoon. Even Plagg, having finished his gluttony, seemed to be winding down with a wide yawn. Adrien was reviewing the day – reveling in his and Lady Noire’s triumph – when a memory, unbidden, revisited him. 

His eyes widened comically and all thoughts of sleep evaporated.

“She said my name,” he muttered, glancing about the room as if it could provide grounding or answers. “Tikki…said my name when she left.”

A million thoughts bombarded him. Had he told her his name? Most certainly not, he decided quickly. He had started upon seeing her and before he could open his mouth, she had guessed he was Chat Noir. No, this was no new knowledge to Ladybug’s kwami. 

_You’re a model_, he told himself quickly. _Everyone knows you. Tikki’s seen you before. Maybe Ladybug reads a fashion magazine or two. It would explain why her costume today was so delectable._

He chastised himself, both for assuming Ladybug’s kwami would have any reason to know his name just because he was a model unless Ladybug knew him and for his mind’s awful timing at admiring her cat suit.

It could be an innocent mistake. Another Adrien. Another boy with blonde hair and green eyes.

Adrien clutched his duvet to his chest, staring into nothing.

Plagg popping in front of his face made him shout in alarm.

Hissing, Plagg shook himself. “Yikes! Heh, didn’t mean to scare you, kid. You looked like you were in a daze.”

“Plagg,” said Adrien lowly, as if scared someone would overhear. He spoke quickly, hurriedly. He was suddenly in a horror film with answers both long awaited and terrifying behind a closed door. “Plagg, Tikki said my name.”

For a few seconds, Plagg merely blinked at him.

“Do you…oh. _OH_!” Adrien laughed, calming. “You told her about me. You mentioned me by name to her, didn’t you? At your kwami…conferences?”

Plagg tilted his head. “She called you Chat Noir?”

“_Adrien_,” said Adrien, frustrated from Plagg’s stubbornness. “You told her my name.”

“Yeah,” said Plagg flatly. And for a moment, relief washed through Adrien and the night was pure again. But then Plagg darted his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah no…no, I lied to you just now.”

“WHAT!?!” Adrien exclaimed.

“I don’t know why I did it…okay, that’s actually a lie too. But you can’t ask me. About my lies. Just…know I can’t do that.”

“Can’t do what, Plagg!?! Lie to my face and make me think things are okay when they’re clearly not!?!”

Throwing his paws in the air, Plagg began to pace. “No! I can’t reveal your name to anyone! I get bubbles in my mouth and it’s just like…BLUB BOO BLUB!”

“THEN HOW DID TIKKI KNOW MY NAME!?!” he rasped, intent on not waking the household while also intent on Plagg comprehending just how _huge_ this was. “She knows me! Both of them! Ladybug…behind the mask…she knows me and I might know her and I’ve missed her and I feel dumb!”

Plagg remained damningly silent.

“Plagg,” Adrien wheezed. “You aren’t helping…what do you know?”

With his lower lip beneath his fangs, Plagg only shook his head.

Adrien glared, eyes nearly watering. “You…wait. You’ve seen her. Ladybug. Without the mask.”

Plagg’s head never paused in its shaking.

“Do I know her? Is she someone that I have hung out with?”

Huffing, Plagg raced to the window. “Don’t make me do this! You told me you wouldn’t ask any questions after the owl incident!”

“I do know her,” Adrien said, his once warm bed now feeling achingly cold. “You don’t have to say anything. You wouldn’t be acting this way if I didn’t know her. Oh my god…oh my god, I barely know anyone. There are so few people…”

He had read somewhere that no face in your dreams was an unknown. That the brain couldn’t form a new face and that every one – no matter how foreign – had once been someone you had met. He felt as if he were in a dream now. That Adrien was running through the streets of Paris around so many faces and one of them – one beautiful soul – was his lady’s. But he had never retained the memory long enough to make it last.

Plagg spoke again, nearer now. Though Adrien had no idea when Plagg had returned from the window. Adrien was too busy huddling his body into as small a ball as he could manage.

“Kid,” said Plagg, frightening Adrien again. The blonde gasped lightly and the kwami sighed. “Kid. If I ask you to let this go, will you? For safety? For Ladybug’s wishes? Don’t make Tikki hate me or herself for a little slip up that leads to bare identities and potential broken hearts.”

He had so many questions and so few answers. Adrien couldn’t answer for a moment, lost in the cloud of people in his mind.

Potential broken hearts, he thought, wincing at the words. One thing was for sure, if he knew her, he would also know the boy that kept Chat Noir and Ladybug at arm’s length. That wasn’t completely fair, he realized. He thought back to poor Marinette’s doomed crush on Chat Noir. Just because Ladybug held his affections didn’t mean he would necessarily return Marinette’s feelings if Ladybug were just gone.

He frowned at the thought all the same.

“Yeah,” he said tiredly. “Yeah. I’ll let it go.”

Adrien felt Plagg’s eyes on him like a licking flame.

“He said with no intention of ever keeping his promise,” said Plagg. The frown and displeasure dripped from every word, but the kwami went to his small cubby tucked away against Adrien’s games. “Night, Mister Bug!”

Managing a half-smile, Adrien glanced to the rafters. “Night, Mr. Tikki.”

Plagg giggled and Adrien spread his arms out flat against his sheets.

He would simply have to watch the women he knew more closely. Then no one was to blame but his own inability to let the newfound information go.

Another stray thought haunted him.

“Hey…Plagg?”

“Mmn?”

“Ladybug…isn’t…Nathalie…is she?”

Silence hung in the room and Adrien sat in pure panic. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Sweat began to build on his brow and queasiness in his stomach.

Plagg laughed. “I will give you this one – it isn’t anyone in this household. The only miraculous Agreste is you, kid. I’d know. I’m a professional after all.”


	2. FML

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind words and wonderful response! I was on vacation with the fiancée last week, so I'll be sure to follow up on those comments. 
> 
> I'll also be working within the next week or so to get some new stories up. Miraculous has become an instant fixation. I'm an aspiring author, so this helps me get back into the swing of things after a writing lull. Critiques are welcome for this reason!
> 
> Thank you all again!

As soon as she walked through the door, Adrien’s head snapped up.

“Good morning, Nathalie! Are you feeling any better?”

Nathalie smiled a small but genuine smile. “Yes, Adrien. Thank you for asking. I apologize for my absence yesterday.” She paused, her smile gone. “Please be advised that I am seeking treatment for a cough. It’s…a by-product that’s been around for a while. I believe it to be nothing more than a hereditary shortness of breath. I just don’t want you to be alarmed if it continues.”

Adrien frowned slightly. “I hope you feel better, Nathalie.”

Smiling again, Nathalie nodded. “I intend to soon.”

And with that, the normal routine set in. Adrien was almost grateful that Nathalie seemed as tired as he. It had been a long and fretful night. So when he only listlessly chewed on his cereal with all the speed of a turtle, he relished Nathalie’s continued monotone voice listing off his schedule. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t aware of his own day. He felt Plagg roll in his bag by his feet and Adrien recalled again his mission.

_Find. My. Lady._

_F.M.L._

With a particularly determined crunch, he finished his cereal and had to stop himself from downing the milk. Nathalie might be recovering from a cold or shortness of breath or well…whatever she had. But the assistant was anything but blind. And straight up milk was a huge no-no on a photoshoot day.

It felt like he was being chauffeured to school in a blink of an eye. Scrunching his nose against the smell of the leather seats, he glanced up to his driver.

Later he would blame it on the delirium of no sleep. But in the now, he just wanted the silence to stop and his ego to be fed.

“Pretty cool about the power swap thing yesterday, huh?”

Why his question had to be practically shouted, Adrien himself had no idea.

The Gorilla barely bothered a glance in the rearview mirror. The man didn’t even bother to grunt. Adrien was mortified. He barely allowed the car to stop before he was rushing toward the school. 

From his place in Adrien’s bag, Plagg guffawed. “If only all your lady fans knew what a dork you really were.”

“I’m NOT a dork,” Adrien huffed.

“Really, dude?”

Shaken, Adrien glanced up to see Nino laughing. 

“Nino! Hea hey!”

Straightening his cap with a grin, Nino looked at him. “Pretty sure talking to yourself about how you’re not a dork lands you solely into dork territory. Sorry to be the one to tell you.”

Adrien laughed in return. “Sorry…just had a bit of an awkward moment with my driver. I thought he was really into superheroes because he collects these figures, but maybe it’s more the figures than the superheroes…”

Placing his hand to his chin, Nino hmmed. “Superhero figures you say? Collectible ones? Ones he’d do anything to have?”

“The one and the same,” said Adrien.

Nino’s look of epiphany was interrupted by a squeal.

“BABE!” Alya cried, wrapping herself around Nino. “Babe, the Ladyblog is crashing with views! Take a look!”

She shoved the phone into Nino’s face and the movement allowed Adrien to capture a glimpse of pink pants as Marinette jumped to avoid Ayla swinging Nino about.

“Marinette!” said Adrien. “When can I expect the photos to go up on the website? Did Max give you a timeframe?”

As always, Adrien assumed he had been reading the situation well. Until Marinette looked at him like he had grown five heads.

“Max said you’re one of a kind,” she said, certainty in her voice. But then began the backtracking. “I MEAN…you’re one in a million…NO! I MEANT MAX SAID COME TO MY SHRINE. GAHH! ONE AT A TIME! UPLOADED ONE AT A TIME!”

In all the time he knew her, she seemed the most calmed by him acknowledging nothing at all about her outbursts. So he simply nodded. “Awesome! I’ll keep checking out your portfolio page. Marinette Designed, right? Same as your Instagram?”

She smiled wide and cutely nodded.

“Perfect. I can’t wait! I’m sure I’ll be modeling on there regularly in the future. Between Audrey Bourgeois and my father, you’re practically guaranteed to have a shop open before long.”

“Modeling? You? Future? M…me?”

“Mm-hmm!” he assured her.

Cupping her red face between both her hands, she stared at him owlishly.

“GUYS!” Alya exclaimed, stepping between the two. “Ladyblog. Down. Ratings. _SKY HIGH_. No one can get enough of Ladyboy and Black Cat!”

Adrien considered all of his classmates his friends. Well…Lila was her own bag of problems, but everyone else was certainly friendly toward him. And it wasn’t as though he begrudged Alya from being Marinette’s _best_ friend. 

But did Marinette need to straighten up and immediately focus? Did she have to be herself around everyone but him?

Adrien frowned silently.

“Those aren’t their names!” Marinette insisted. There was a slight pause. “I mean…how would you know?”

“How would _you_ know?” countered Alya.

Marinette crossed her arms. “None of the footage captures them calling each other that.”

“None of the footage has good enough audio. I had to use something for the blog! But the next akuma attack, I’m going to see if I can haggle an interview and get the facts. That and ask for a video editing software for Christmas from my parents. I can’t let something like this happen again without being able to tweak the sounds. I’ve been using what I can online for free, but that will only go so far.”

“That’s a great idea! Max could probably offer some solutions,” said Adrien.

Shaking her head, Marinette frowned. “What if you hear something you’re not supposed to? Something that could place Chat Noir and Ladybug into danger?”

It was a fair question, Adrien reasoned. Sometimes there was barely any time between fighting and transforming. He wondered idly if Plagg’s voice would register on a recording or if it was only the kwami’s body that was immune to technology. 

“Mmn. Maybe. But the news stations are going to have way more powerful equipment than I can get my hands on. Best to keep in line if I’m going to make a career out of journalism,” said Alya.

Marinette looked…perturbed. It made sense. She and Chat Noir were friends. Adrien felt elated that she cared so much for his safety even if it was his masked persona. He wouldn’t think about her jitters and her energized hesitancy around him as Adrien. He wouldn’t, he promised himself, straightening his posture.

Then the bell rang.

“Oh!” said Alya, snatching Nino’s hand and leading the group up the steps. “Maybe I should start a poll. See what names people think the two would have before I get something official. That would be fun!”

Nino nodded. “Yeah! Great idea! I think I’m gonna go with Bug Boy and Felina!”

Hearing Marinette mumble, Adrien turned his head to her. “What was that, Marinette?”

Marinette’s head snapped up. “Herrible…terrible…uhhhhiiiiii…Ladybug and Chat.”

Alya glanced back. “You think they just kept the same names?”

Nodding mutely, Marinette glanced about. She met Adrien’s eyes and he tried to smile but she was already back to looking at the ground.

“That would be kind of lame,” said Nino.

Marinette was quiet. Too quiet. Adrien began to panic. Was she hurt? Embarrassed? Sad? Fine? He settled on assuming reassurance was needed. “Well…maybe Marinette has a point. A lot was happening. Maybe they didn’t have time to name themselves.”

Though the group was nearing the classroom, Marinette’s smile made Adrien beam.

“Hmm. Good points, you two,” said Alya, stepping up to her seat and setting her bag down. “This is a great angle. I’ll keep asking around. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

And so the classroom began to fill. But Adrien stole a quiet moment of Nino chatting to Ayla to pull out a notebook from under a sleeping Plagg and flip it to its first blank page. Hesitating at the first blue line, he decided against a title and instead went directly to writing. 

_Alya_  
_Marinette_  
_Mylene_  
_Alix_  
_Rose_  
_Juleka_  
_Chloe_  
_Sabrina_  
_Lila_

He frowned at his list, scratching his head with the dull end of his pen. Ladybug being in his actual classroom seemed unlikely, but he had to approach this problem from each angle. Just like Ayla with her story. 

Okay. Who had been akumitized? He could certainly narrow down the options then.

He had marks against so many names before he paused. There was the instance of two Ladybugs in the past. What if it happened again and no one was the wiser? What if Ladybug had fought her civilian self and he had never known? Adrien stared at the names blankly before gently scribbling out each ‘x’ beside each akumitized victim’s name.

His page now looked like a series of angry clouds.

“Dude,” said Nino. “What are you doing?”

Adrien looked up, sure his face was burning. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? Why are you only writing down the girls’ names in class? And why does everyone have a scribble but Marinette?”

Blinking far too fast, Adrien shrugged.

Nino stared at him, glanced quickly behind them, and stared again.

“Just practicing my writing,” Adrien supplied dumbly. Nino did not respond and the tension to speak again – to dig the hole he was in wider – became too great. “I…gotta have my writing look clean for those autographs.”

Nino frowned. “Uh-huh.”

The boy was still skeptically eyeing Adrien even when Miss Bustier entered the room. By that point, Adrien had placed his hand against the notebook protectively blocking the list he had made.

Marinette’s name screamed at him and he shook his head before turning the page and absently writing his class notes.

F.M.L. Ask questions. Seek answers. Everyone was a suspect unless eliminated with the utmost certainty.

Waiting, biding his time until Miss Bustier’s back was turned, Adrien ripped a corner from his notebook’s page and scribbled his question hurriedly.

_Can I help you with your poll?_

“To Alya,” Adrien whispered, shoving the slip of paper to Nino.

Adrien felt dread when Nino frowned and flipped the note over. Seemingly satisfied, Nino passed the note behind his head. 

He turned his head and moments later, Adrien was greeted with a nudge from Nino and a reply slid into his hands.

_Yes! Meet me and Marinette at lunch._


	3. Juleka and Rose

“Oh! Kitty Section and Lord Luck! That’s my vote!”

Seated together in the lunchroom, Adrien, Alya, Marinette, Rose, and Juleka took up a whole table. Adrien could feel Marinette jittering to his right side. Even without her nervousness, he felt on edge. He was going into uncharted territory. Ladybug’s frowning face appeared in his mind’s eye. Was she seated at this table? Had she ever once wondered about him as he sat now? Did Chat cross her mind when the mask came off?

Logically, he would. They worked together day in and day out and they were dear friends if nothing else.

But worry nagged him and he soon noticed his right leg bouncing restlessly.

Juleka’s soft voice felt like a truck ramming against his ears. 

“No.”

Rose stuck out her tongue in turn. 

While Adrien had never considered the fact that Rose or Juleka might be Ladybug, the thought simply seemed laughable. Juleka was there and very much akumitized during his last fight. 

Then again…

“Hey, Juleka,” said Adrien hesitantly. “Do you have a twin?”

Face bare thanks to a red hairclip, Juleka’s expression seemed more confused than normal. “No. Just me and Luka.”

“I have a sister!” said Rose cheerfully.

Adrien turned to her, eyes wide. “Do you…do you pretend to be each other? Like wear each other’s clothes?”

“Well she’s four,” said Rose. “So…no.”

The girls giggled, Alya finding the whole thing particularly funny. Marinette simply smiled at him, her cheeks reddened already after such a light laugh.

“Ha ha…yeah. Um…but you’re still into that Prince Ali guy, right? Been quite a while?”

Immediately, the table fell silent. Rose blinked at him and Juleka coughed louder than she had ever spoken.

“Uh, Adrien?” said Alya.

“Huh?”

Alya smirked beside a visibly wincing Marinette. “Today is Rose and Juleka’s four-month anniversary.”

He only needed his clown costume back before he’d truly be ready for the ground to swallow him whole. 

“Wh…oh…oh I’m _so sorry_! I had no idea!”

“S’okay,” mumbled Juleka, blushing when Rose rubbed her cheek with gentle fingers.

“Juleka’s right. No biggie!” said Rose kindly, dropping her hand and smiling at Adrien. “Prince Ali and I are still friends, but some friendships just developed into more. We haven’t made a huge fuss because I’m not quite ready to tell my mom. Anarka has been wonderful, though!”

Juleka nodded, gleaming. 

“Congratulations, you two. That’s awesome,” said Adrien.

“Why all the questions, Agreste?” asked Alya. “You looking for a date? If so, I have the perfect pers-“

Marinette suddenly spilled her drink across the table, knocking it over with all the force of a cataclysm and flailing her arms.

“BAH!” she screamed. 

Too familiar with avoiding spills for photoshoots and avoiding attacks for well…his life, Adrien bounded to his feet and watched the liquid pool at the ground.

Looking up to assess the damage, Adrien noticed Rose had not been so lucky. The soda stained her once pink shirt and Juleka was already hurriedly snatching napkins from the dispenser. Each napkin was stuck to Rose’s shirt before bleeding transparent.

“Rose!” said Marinette. “Gah! I’m so sorry! That really was an accident! I swear!”

Alya shook her head.

“Here,” said Adrien, offering Rose his hand. “That’s going to stain. I can give you my white shirt and you can change.”

“And I can wash your shirt when you’re done,” said Marinette. She added, ashamed, “It’s the least I can do.”

“Why don’t you all go together?” Alya suggested.

Marinette frowned sharply.

“Uh…sure,” said Adrien.

“Just…um…” Rose paused, stepping over to Alya. Whispering hurriedly, Rose waited until Alya nodded and showed her crossed fingers. “Okay. Let’s go, guys!”

On their way to the door, Adrien heard Chloe’s unmistakable laugh. He turned, shaking his head, and the small table with her and Sabrina fell silent.

In the hallway, Rose sighed.

“Sorry, guys. I’m just concerned about leaving Juleka and Alya together. Can we make this quick?”

“Sure,” said Adrien. “But why are you concerned about Alya?”

Walking quickly, Rose shrugged. “She’s been extra pushy lately. Ah…sorry, Marinette. I still really like her!”

Marinette nodded. “I do too, Rose. You’re safe. What happens in the hallway stays in the hallway.”

Breath lighter, Rose continued. “Juleka already feels so terrible about yesterday. And this morning someone told her what she said about me when she was Reflekta…”

Thinking, Adrien paused. “That she was your best friend forever?”

Rose nodded, solemnly.

“But it could have just been her protecting you!” said Marinette. “If your mom saw the footage, it wouldn’t give you the opportunity to tell her how you wanted if she had said otherwise.”

“I told her that too! It’s what I believe…but…” Rose frowned. “She thinks she was mocking me. Doing it to be cruel. And the last thing I want is for her to feel terrible on our anniversary. Or for Hawkmoth to take advantage of her again. It wasn’t even her fault no matter why she said what she said!” 

“You’re right. Hopefully some time after school with her girlfriend can cheer her up,” said Marinette.

Bounding into the restroom after Adrien handed her his outer shirt, Rose seemed a little more upbeat. “Yeah!”

Silence fell, though not an entirely unwelcome one. If there was one thing Adrien was certain of, it was that neither Juleka or Rose was Ladybug. Shocked at first to feel his bare arms as he hugged himself, Adrien studied the floor.

“Hey…Marinette…”

Although he couldn’t see her face, he could practically feel her face clench.

“Yeeeesss, Hadrien? ADRIEN?”

“Do…” He stopped, frowning. “Do you think friends can become something more? In a romantic sense?”

The silence was not so comfortable now. Whipping his head to look at Marinette, he realized her cheeks were larger than normal and her lips had fallen flat.

Was she…holding her breath?

“YES,” said Marinette loudly, exhaling. She looked to the bathroom to his arms to his eyes to the floor in rapid succession. “Yes. I think that’s possible.”

His smile was short-lived. Adrien lightly kicked the floor. “What if one of them doesn’t want things that way? Like…you’re meant to be…at least you feel that you are…but the other person just doesn’t see it? And you have the chance to show them…but it might cost that friendship? Because it’s something the other person _doesn’t_ want…but it’s too late to stop? Or well…um…”

Marinette squinted as if she could see his ramblings in the air and was trying desperately to make sense of them.

“Never mind,” he said quickly, shuffling to the side.

“You want that person to see you differently,” said Marinette. Her voice was clear and Adrien’s heart seized. He was receiving the full and complete Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The her she showed everyone else. The her he so rarely got to see despite her being his first real friend at school. His attention shifted back to her, focused and steady. And though she did not meet his eyes, she continued. “You’d give anything for them to understand what’s in your head…even if you can’t verbalize it. And sometimes…sometimes it seems like they could understand. But it isn’t worth risking what you have. Because once you take that risk…there’s no going back. And as much as you want them to know, you want them however you can have them in your life even more. So things stay the same. Because it’s safer that way. Sad…but safe.”

Adrien blinked. “Yes…that’s exactly it. But how-”

“Ready, guys!”

Rose skipped out of the bathroom as cute as could be in Adrien’s oversized button down and her soaked shirt folded haphazardly in her hands.

Feeling quite absent-minded, Adrien nodded before noticing Marinette was already taking Rose’s shirt and folding it neatly.

“Did I interrupt something?” Rose asked aghast.

“No!” said Marinette hurriedly. Just like that, the real Marinette slipped away and the nerves were present once more. “Just…just…talking.”

“Yeah!?!” said Rose, strangely excited. She looked between Adrien and Marinette with wide eyes.

“NO! Um…talking about stuff…random stuff…not important stuff…” Marinette mumbled.

The “not important stuff” wracked Adrien’s brain as the three walked back to the lunchroom. Had Marinette gone through the same thing? Well…not the same thing. Even if she was still a suspect for Ladybug, it wouldn’t make sense for her to be unable to tell the one she loved how she felt. Her and Luka seemed perfectly capable of talking to one another. 

But then there had been the recent Chat Noir incident.

Had she and Luka broken up? Or…

“Hey, Marinette?”

“Hmm?” she said.

Adrien shifted his gaze, noticed Marinette walking ramrod straight.

“Are you and Luka dating?”

For several steps, Rose and Adrien lost a frozen Marinette. Rose turned around, her quick glance to Adrien revealing an open mouth.

Behind them, Marinette could only manage to quietly shake her head.

But if Marinette wasn’t dating Luka and she liked Chat Noir, she couldn’t possibly be Ladybug. Ladybug having a crush on Chat would solve their problem without any fuss.

The girls seemed to be talking through hurried glances, but all Adrien could do was furrow his brow.

Marinette’s love life. What did he know? She was a popular girl – Nino and Nathaniel had both been smitten. Then he had thought Glaciator…

_Glaciator_. Marinette had been _devastated_ because her heart had been broken.

But by whom?

“Have you ever dated, Marinette?“

Rose buried her face into her hands. Marinette’s face was almost as red as Ladybug’s suit.

No answer came and Marinette’s lower lip trembled.

Adrien was about to repeat his question when the door to the cafeteria swung open. Alya peered out, motioning to them with her hands. “GUYS! Come quick! Lila said she heard the names for our power swapped duo!”

_Alya_  
_Marinette_  
_Mylene_  
_Alix_  
_ <strike>Rose</strike> _  
_ <strike>Juleka</strike> _  
_Chloe_  
_Sabrina_  
_Lila_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So your author is mad dumb. I was so proud of myself for using the production codes before realizing that Weredad comes immediately AFTER Reflekdoll.
> 
> Sigh.
> 
> So we're just going to pretend that the episodes are swapped production code wise and keep moving forward. Otherwise, for reference:
> 
> 203: Glaciator (Marinette admits her heart is broken)  
216: Captain Hardrock (Luka is first introduced)  
217: Frozer (double date)  
305 (whoops): Reflekdoll (kwami swap, fic focus)  
306 (yikes): Weredad (Marinette claims to love Chat Noir)


	4. Lila

Adrien could practically feel the heat radiating from Marinette’s body.

Surrounded by their classmates like a goddess in a Renaissance painting, Lila spun her lies further and further.

“I’m _really_ sorry that I can’t show you all,” said Lila, her voice carrying just enough regret to sound sincere. “You have to understand. The forum for Miraculous users and their descendants is extremely hush hush.”

“Then why would you tell anyone about it!?!” Marinette challenged. “If what you say is true, you’re putting the superheroes of Paris in danger!”

Hand against her chest in mock shock, Lila gasped. “Marinette! I would _never_ put anyone in danger. I’m sorry if you don’t believe me, but the forum _does_ exist and Ladybug and Chat post there regularly.”

Adrien frowned. He knew Lila was known to bend the truth to extremes, but this much of a lie to one of those heroes faces – albeit unknowingly – made him feel like he was in a walking nightmare.

Even Alya seemed dubious.

“_All_ Miraculous holders post there?” Alya asked.

Lila laughed. “I see where you’re going…no, not Hawkmoth. But all the others do.”

Alya frowned, suddenly and uncharacteristically silent.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” said Chloe.

Smiling somewhat sympathetically, Lila shrugged. “It’s invite only…I think Ladybug is running it now. You know how she can be. Busy and all that.”

“Now that you mention it,” said Chloe, holding up her phone, “I think I just got an e-mail! Must be my invitation.”

The more Lila spoke, the more the consideration of her being Ladybug seemed like an insult. Whoever she was behind the mask, Ladybug certainly had no affection for Lila.

By his side, Marinette stomped her feet before a look that could only be described as mischievous crossed her face.

“What about the new superheroes? What are their names…Renny Rue and Care Package?” asked Marinette.

Alya scowled. “Rena Rouge and Carapace. You know this, girl! You read my blog!”

“Sorry, Alya! Long night studying last night!” said Marinette, yawning for the full effect.

Alya seemed calmed until Lila spoke.

“Of course that bratty Rena is on there,” said Lila. “Carapace too.”

Adrien had never seen Alya like this. Her arms crossed and her eyebrows worried together, she seemed to be teeming with energy. As if she’d had one too many coffees.

“This was a forum you say?” asked Alya.

Lila nodded.

“Why would the heroes need to use a forum? They’re completely capable of communicating through their miraculous. I’ve caught them calling one another on video a handful of times,” said Alya.

Appearing shocked, Lila shook her head. “Well there’s simply some things they can’t share in public – even when they think they’re alone. And they have to be able to contact older Miraculous users that are no longer in the field. Being a superhero is something that very few will ever experience. I’m sorry that I can’t express it better for you, Alya. I really tried-“

“Show me the forum,” countered Alya.

“Babe,” said Nino. Adrien considered Nino’s glance. Concern and something far more fearful filled Nino’s eyes.

But Alya was undeterred. “Show us the forum, Lila. Just one post that couldn’t hurt.”

Around Lila, the students began muffled chatting. Nino looked nauseated. Marinette was lifting a eyebrow with her smile nothing less than wicked. Off to the side, Juleka’s head hung low enough that even with her hair clip, her hair hid her face. Rose patted her girlfriend’s hair, the sleeves of the white shirt flapping as she did so.

Looking about, Lila sighed. “You all have to _promise_ not to tell.”

Murmurs and nods abounded. Even though Adrien knew whatever Lila was pulling up on her phone was nothing but fiction, he still yanked his bag closer to him as he watched his classmates gather tighter and tighter. Max stretched with his eyes barely visible over Chloe’s head until Kim shifted him in front.

The squeals and gasps were immediate.

“Is that post from Ladybug!?!” said Alix.

Lila nodded. “I know it’s hard for some of you to see…it’s a post about how she regrets giving Rena the fox miraculous.”

Beside him, Marinette scoffed. Adrien turned to her, studying her closely.

Something was certainly amiss with the baker’s daughter.

“Not cool,” said Nino.

“Lila,” said Max, “I think this forum you’re on is a fake.”

The cafeteria that day had already been cooler because of the heat outside. But now it felt absolutely chilling. Students squinted and stared while Lila’s façade faltered with darkening eyes.

“What do you mean, Max?” Lila’s voice had never sounded so flat.

“Yeah, Max. What gives?” asked Kim.

Pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger, Max leaned toward the phone. “I’ve used several forums over the years and none of them are run by a ‘Fuzzy Forum’ web base. The formatting is another red flag. Forums have a 80.9% chance of demanding regulations due to the chance of overloading the bandwidth. This format alone as it is locked in the background would result in the forum running at a 422% deficit.”

“In French, Max,” said Alix.

Pursing his lips, Max shook his head. “I don’t believe that platform exists. That or it’s very new and run by a very small team that I haven’t heard of yet. However, if that were true, due to the format, the forum would be practically unable to function. It would be operating so slowly that by the time this post loaded from Ladybug, it would be four months after she had hit ‘send.’ Same for the comments. Does it run this slowly for you, Lila?”

Eyes upon eyes turned to Lila. For her part, Lila glanced about before looking directly at Adrien. It took every amount of modeling expertise that he had not to frown at her and simply remain a blank slate. 

“It’s funny, Max,” said Lila, her eyes still locked with Adrien. “Ladybug always claimed the delays were due to her needing to approve posts, but you might be-“

“Then what about the power swap?” Marinette cut in.

Adrien turned to Marinette completely unable to hide a gentle smile. This all reminded him of one of his detective games. Crying ‘_objection_’ might be a little inappropriate with the tension in the room, but the urge hit him nonetheless.

“What about it?” asked Lila, teeth gritted.

“If it takes as long to load a post as Max claims, then how could you know the names of the heroes if that happened yesterday?”

Although Marinette was practically oozing with the sense of victory, Adrien knew Lila too well. And when Lila smiled her sweet, innocent smile a moment later, he knew she would be worming her way out of the trap she had placed for herself.

“Normally, Marinette, you would be right,” said Lila. “But Ladybug messaged me through the forum yesterday. It’s a much more simple design for the messaging system. Must be why I get it faster.”

Max nodded and despite knowing it would happen, Adrien’s heart still fell to the floor.

“And what _are_ their names, Lila?” Alya asked. She sounded practically robotic.

“Bug Boy and Lady Mischief. But she said that she wasn’t sure what she’d tell the public yet. Her and Chat were considering using them as undercover names in the future, so they might make other names up or just not talk about it again.”

Lila could have dropped Mister Bug and Lady Noire from her lips and Adrien still wouldn’t believe she was Ladybug. It had occurred to him that Ladybug would not be an easy woman to find. If she was anything like him, secrets had to be kept and white lies were the best way to keep them.

But Lila’s lies were positively rancid.

That he even wrote Lila’s name down seemed to bring him lower from his lady’s light. Adrien pictured her now, throwing her hands in the air and grimacing at him. He winced.

He’d be sure to burn the paper once his investigation had come to a close.

“UGH! Why would they need ‘undercover names,’” said Marinette, using air quotes, “if they have all of these other safeguards in place?”

“You wouldn’t understand, Marinette,” Lila said. Her honey sweet voice had to be eating Marinette alive. “It’s a superhero thing.”

Marinette made a noise both guttural and high.

“Are you CRYING, Juleka?” asked Chloe suddenly, still at Lila’s side.

When Juleka let out a strangled breath, Adrien turned to see Rose gently leading her past mostly empty tables. The students flocked against Lila all watched curiously. When had they two girls even moved?

“Come on, Jules,” said Rose lightly, passing Adrien by.

“Juleka,” whispered Marinette. “Oh no.”

“Chloe. Lay off,” said Adrien.

Shrugging her shoulders, Chloe’s eyes stayed on Juleka’s back. “If little Ms. Model-in-the-Making here ever hopes to step up her game, she’s going to need to grow a thicker skin.”

This was bad. Juleka whispered to Rose, her steps unsteady, before Rose pulled out a chair to allow Juleka to fall into.

Adrien ran up to the girls. “I’ll get the nurse!”

“…stop…just stop…”

“I think she just needs some time, but thank you, Adrien,” said Rose. Her kind smile reassured him and he turned just in time to watch Chloe’s eyes roll.

Another reprimand was on his tongue when Chloe continued, flicking her fingers through her hair. She was failing at whispering, something that had seemed adorable when they were growing up but all too malicious now.

“Poor thing probably thinks she’s going places now that she has pictures with Adrien.”

“SHUT. UP.” Juleka’s voice, for once, was loud and clear. Though her volume dropped after a heated second, her words stung with each breath. “I don’t _care_ about your stupid crush, Chloe. I just can’t stand hearing about _them_ anymore.”

Despite sitting down, Juleka’s body clearly trembled, her chin cinching.

“Why did they have to switch powers…when it was me…” Juleka added softly.

Adrien frowned, his chest aching. He wished so badly to tell Juleka that it was all an accident – that he would never purposefully hurt her.

But hadn’t he?

In his quest to find his lady, he had been insensitive and helped Alya drive too much attention where Juleka clearly felt uncomfortable. Why did social interactions have to be so hard. Or, perhaps what upset him even more, why did everyone else seem to get them so easily?

Adrien’s shoes were suddenly very interesting.

“HEY! GUYS! DO YOU LIKE MACARONS?” yelled Marinette.

Pulled from his thoughts, Adrien studied the girl, quite confused and quite intrigued.

“What?” said Chloe haughtily. Seated below her, Lila scowled.

“MACARONS,” Marinette repeated, just as loudly. “ONE DAY OFFER! TELL ME WHAT KIND YOU WANT AND YOU GET THEM FOR FREE! BAKER’S DOZEN! ONCE IN A LIFETIME DEAL!”

“What are you on about now Dupain-Ch-HEY!” snapped Chloe when Sabrina pushed past her. “Sabrina! What do you think you’re…”

Though Chloe’s mouth still moved, Adrien could no longer hear her over the shuffle of bodies rushing to Marinette. Quite soon a line was forming and Marinette cast a sympathetic look over her shoulder. Adrien followed it to where Rose and Juleka had been seated to find the girls at the exit. Juleka was shyly smiling and Rose seemed ready to burst with joy.

Ladybug herself couldn’t have provided a better distraction.

“Pretty slick of Marinette, eh?” asked Alya, slipping to Adrien’s side. “I forget sometimes that she’s never been akumitized. You wouldn’t know it with how considerate she is for others. A real catch that Dupain-Cheng.”

“Yeah,” said Adrien absently, noticing Marinette’s pigtails as they bobbed in a nod to Ivan’s order.

But then he saw Chloe grumbling to the side and his hands quickly became fists.

“Excuse me, Alya,” he said, already walking off. “There’s someone I need to talk to.”

_Alya_  
_Marinette_  
_Mylene_  
_Alix_  
_ <strike>Rose</strike> _  
_ <strike>Juleka</strike> _  
_Chloe_  
_Sabrina_  
_ <strike>Lila</strike> _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I want in life is Max to call out Lila on some techy business and Ayla to get just a smidge of comeuppance by Lila laying into Rena.
> 
> I'm a simple girl with simple demands.
> 
> Renny Rue and Care Package for Team Miraculous! Turns out Marinette is still a little sour over bad Lady Noire names.


	5. Chloe and Sabrina

“Adrikins! Good to see you’ve finally come to your senses and decided to sit with me.”

“Chloe. We need to talk.”

Their lunch period was quickly drawing to a close. He could feel it in the scatter of students from poor Marinette’s long line and the constant swishing of the cafeteria door. Adrien recalled, absently, him telling his Ladybug time and time again that Chloe needed to be told her stint as Queen Bee was no more.

By the way Chloe checked her e-mail after Lila’s comments, Adrien suspected that conversation still had yet to happen. Seated alone at her table, Chloe’s nose curled as she mashed the refresh button a little too hard.

It truly was no sleep, he reasoned, that allowed him to write Chloe’s name down as a possibility for Ladybug. If there was anyone in Paris who had proven herself _not_ to be the spotted hero, it was Chloe Bourgeois.

And in light of the way his search had gone – whether called off for Juleka’s heartache or not – it was a comfort to sit with someone without suspicions tainting his words.

Or it would have been a comfort had Chloe not said what she said.

“You know why I’m here, Chloe,” he said coldly. “That wasn’t cool – attacking Juleka like that.”

Frowning and placing her phone down, Chloe sighed. “You didn’t even invite me to your stupid little class photoshoot. _That_ wasn’t cool.”

Adrien shot back in his chair. “This was Marinette’s thing, Chloe! And I get the feeling that you two aren’t exactly the best of friends.”

It dawned on him that she was avoiding his gaze and the fact bothered him more than it should. He had known Chloe his entire life and although she felt more like a distant sister than a dearest friend, he still couldn’t bear to see her so distraught. 

“This isn’t about Dupain-Cheng’s ad to get free clothes-“

“That’s not…” he sighed, giving up.

“-it’s about the fact that you prefer all your new friends to me,” she said quietly.

Eyes widening, he shook his head. “That’s not true, Chloe!”

“Isn’t it?” she said, louder. “I was so excited when you started school here. ‘Finally!’ I thought. ‘Someone of my caliber, pedigree, and attractiveness level.’”

Adrien made sure his face remained as flat as possible.

“I thought…I thought we would hang out more. That you would at least _want_ to talk to me.” She met his eyes then and he wished desperately that she hadn’t. Adrien made no secret that his favorite color was blue, thanks to the color of his Lady’s eyes. But not only were Chloe’s eyes not Ladybug’s, but they were the starkest and most painful blue he had ever seen. “It feels like we aren’t even friends and I don’t know why when I’ve tried really, REALLY hard to be better.”

Feeling his own eyes widen, Adrien stared at the table. What could he tell her? That she represented all the painful memories that he was realizing day-by-day were tainted in trauma? No matter where his mother had gone, he had spent his entire life surrounded by tall white walls. And that, he ascertained from Nino and Marinette and, well, everyone, was not normal. As much as he missed his mother – her laugh and her smile and her hugs and her teasing of his father – he did not miss the isolation.

Unfortunately for Chloe, she sometimes felt just as much a part of that isolation as his room’s basketball court or piano.

_But that isn’t fair to her at all_, he told himself, looking back at Chloe. _She was just as lonely as I was…she’s struggling just as much as I am now. Even if she needs to make some changes on her own, she might not even know where to start._

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” he said, breathing deeply. “I know things might seem stacked against you. The last thing I want is to be one of those obstacles. But you have to start showing that you’ve learned. I can’t invite you over to hang out with Nino and me only to have you chase him away. Even if it was in my power to invite you yesterday, what you just said to Juleka shows that you wouldn’t have tried to get along. You would have hurt people. And maybe sometimes, because of that, it’s made more sense to keep you away and keep our friendship than let you get close and lose you.”

Chloe opened and closed her mouth before deciding to cross her arms on the table. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You start where it feels right to start,” said Adrien. “I would suggest an apology to Juleka. I know you were embarrassed about the whole forum thing with Lila, but between you and me, I think Max was right the first time around. There isn’t any forum like that.”

Turning toward Lila, Chloe sneered. “That little brat…”

Smiling, Adrien said, “Besides, Queen Bee or no, I think you’re amazing, Chloe. And you can overcome what you’ve been taught and be a friend to everyone.”

A dark look enveloped the genuine smile that had appeared on Chloe’s face. “Not _everyone_.”

From behind him, a shy voice spoke. “What would you like, Adrien?”

Turning, Adrien nearly bumped directly into Marinette. Sabrina was not far behind her, taking a quick seat beside Chloe. 

“To say thank you,” said Adrien, grinning. “What you did back there saved Juleka a lot of embarrassment.”

“It was something…you’re nothing – NO! YOU’RE _EVERYTHING_! No…no…nits glothing…” Marinette took the notepad she was holding and gently smacked it against her forehead. “It’s nothing…”

Alya approached them, giving Marinette a sorrowful look. “Girl, girl, girl…”

“I got your favorite, Chloe!” exclaimed Sabrina. “Chocolate macarons!”

“Hey!” said Marinette. “You told me those were for you! This offer wasn’t for Chloe!”

Adrien watched as Chloe bristled before catching his eye. Softening, she cleared her throat.

“Actually, _Dupain-Cheng_,” she said, sure to keep her voice haughty as ever. “You can cancel that order. Sabrina prefers white tea macarons.”

“Chloe,” said Sabrina, tears in her eyes.

Marinette made a noisy display of crossing out Chloe’s order.

“How in the world are you going to get the money for all the ingredients for these ‘free’ macarons?” asked Alya.

Cringing, Marinette waved a hand nonchalantly. “Oh it’s fine, Alya. I’ll just pay for them with my allowance money.”

“By not getting an allowance for the rest of your life?” asked Alya.

“That was the plan, yes,” squeaked Marinette.

Adrien shook his head. “No way, Marinette. Let me pitch in. What is it…like €5,000?”

It was a mistake, he realized, when eyebrows shot into hairlines.

“More like €10,000,” said Alya quickly.

“_NO_,” shouted Marinette. “Alya is _joking_. It’s fine, Adrien. Most of the orders are for simple ones like strawberry and pistachio. We have some of those on standby and I’ll just work the rest off.”

“But that’s not fair-“

“FINE. I’ll cover the costs,” Chloe announced, turning her head in the air and away from the group.

“What!?!” said Alya.

Marinette only raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Adrien felt as though he could cry with pride.

Chloe remained as unbothered as ever.

“I’m not repeating myself. Just give me a receipt for the materials and I’ll forward you the money. No tricks for some knock off clothing or whatever you were trying to raise awareness for, Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes.”

“ARGH!” said Marinette. She chewed – actually chewed – on her notepad. When she noticed Adrien eyeing her curiously, she stood up straight and thrusted the notepad behind her back. “What I mean to say is…thank you, Chloe.”

He was positively glowing. “Yes. Thanks, Chloe. You’re the best.”

“Why, of course I am, Adrikins,” she simpered. 

“You know,” said Alya. “We could really use more hands at Marinette’s to get these huge orders done. Any chance that Mr. Agreste would be willing to set his boy free for the evening?”

The same pit in his stomach resided every time he was asked for an outing. A pit of despair and excitement.

“Not today I’m afraid,” said Adrien. “I have a photoshoot. But I’ll see what I can do about tomorrow.”

“Fencing,” said Marinette.

Everyone paused. Adrien squinted at her, making sure he understood what she said, before shock overcame his features.

“I do have fencing tomorrow in the afternoon. But how…”

“Stalker,” Chloe smirked.

The bell rang and lunch was over and Adrien was sure that he had discovered a new color of red on Marinette’s face.

“_DunnoluckyguessclassstartingBYE!_”

In a flurry, Marinette was gone with a stunned and apologetic Alya at her heels. Chloe stood from the table as Sabrina simply sat, practically swooning.

“I think it’s _romantic_,” said Sabrina.

Chloe scoffed. “You would.”

Adrien suddenly had a feeling that he was missing something again. His meal, for one, he remembered, frowning at the thought that his barely eaten lunch had already been thrown away from the now clean table to the side of the room.

His stomach grumbled in protest.

Shuffling along, Adrien felt the curiosity fall into place when Sabrina watched a snappy Chloe in line to dispose of her lunch tray’s trash. The realization hit him like a train.

“Hey, Sabrina,” said Adrien. “Are you and Chloe…um. Are you and Chloe like…together? Is that something I’ve missed? Like…are you her girlfriend and I just didn’t get the memo or…”

“No,” said Sabrina simply. But then she shifted her glance between Chloe and Adrien. “I mean yes. Yes we are together. But you can’t tell her I said that.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s Chloe! She’s embarrassed and she’s shy about it and…”

Adrien tilted his head. “You aren’t really together, are you?”

“No,” said Sabrina sorrowfully. “But maybe! One day!”

_You’re still fishing_, he told himself, smiling when Chloe returned and making sure to walk with her and Sabrina to class. _Ladybug is right. This is a terrible idea. Only bad things can come from this. What if I heard Tikki wrong and this was all just a misunderstanding? Even if Ladybug does know me, how many models have I worked with over the years? She’s just as likely to be an actress or a model as she is a classmate._

The thought still made him sigh.

When he sat down in Miss Mendeleiev’s class, he heard the light buzz of his phone receiving a text. Deciding he had enough time, he fished around his bag and mentally reminded himself to withhold cheese from Plagg when he felt the Kwami’s soft paws swat at him. 

Flipping over his phone, Adrien watched the screensaver light up and a preview of a text from Alix to appear. 

_Meet Mylene and me in park at 16:30. No excuses. Mr. Agreste’s orders. Something important to tell you abo-_

The classroom seemed to freeze as Miss Mendeleiev entered, but Adrien felt all the more on edge. His father’s orders? Alix? What in the world was going on?

“Adrien Agreste! No phones in the classroom!” said Miss Mendeleiev.

He responded. He swore he had. But the sound never met his ears and instead there was a pin of silence.

The boom came almost as an aftershock.

Smelling Nino’s cologne before realizing he had shoved both their heads to the desk, Adrien looked up in wild panic to find the school’s walls disintegrated. 

The first voice he heard was Marinette’s.

“AKUMA!”

_Alya_  
_Marinette_  
_Mylene_  
_Alix_  
<strike>_Rose_</strike>  
<strike>_Juleka_</strike>  
<strike>_Chloe_</strike>  
<strike>_Sabrina_</strike>  
<strike>_Lila_</strike>


	6. Shrieker

If he had been told three years ago that he would be so comfortable in body-hugging leather, he would have blushed thirty distinctly different shades of red.

But appearing as Chat Noir on the top of Paris’s buildings made the air taste sharper on his tongue and threw all his worries out of a proverbial window. 

He knew the akumitized victim couldn’t be far. The sound – that _shrill_, **BOOMING** noise – had stunned Adrien for sure, but he was quick enough to rush off with excuses of safety precautions. Sometimes it did pay to have Agreste as a last name. Of course Gabriel would want his son home safe and sound.

It meant that he could keep being Chat Noir as long as Hawkmoth wanted to play.

Well, Hawkmoth and one other person.

“CHAT!”

She was behind him only for a second before she bounded above him with a vault of her yo-yo. The woman he had been hunting all day finally out of the shadows and into her suit once more.

“My lady,” he said, awed as she landed perfectly before him. Chat skidded to a stop, leaning on his staff. “Back to the old suits…funny…I can’t tell if I prefer you more in mine or in your own.”

It was not uncommon for him to see Ladybug blush. Or, more accurately, _think_ he had seen Ladybug blush. He still swore there was a red tinged cheek when he kissed her after only moments of her telling Chat there was another boy. And there had been numerous fights when her stamina was low and her face was hot and they landed in just a precarious enough position that Chat knew teasing her would only serve to push her away. 

He was too busy blushing himself when he landed on top of her to think coherently anyway.

But looking at her now, he saw it as clear as day. Ladybug was as scarlet as the hair ties keeping her pigtails in place.

“_Not appropriate_,” she mumbled, shifting her gaze back and forth. “After we defeat this…we need to talk. It’s important.”

“Important, is it?” he asked, the ears on the top of his head twitching. “For you, Bugaboo, I’d stay here forever.”

Her blush had been fun, but the look she gave him now was too sad to be bore. As if the blue of her eyes were threatening to turn to tears at any moment.

“Ladyb-“

“Not now. Later,” she said, rubbing her wrist against her eyes. When she lowered her hand, her face seemed pure once more. As if he hadn’t seen into her very soul. “This akuma…it’s got Alec Cataldi.”

“The television host?” Chat asked.

An unsettling feeling lined his stomach as he watched Ladybug’s mouth move without sound. The air that had been so kind before came in torrents. Ladybug crossed her arms against it and Chat struggled to bury his staff into the roof to steady himself. He couldn’t bear to lift his head against the pressure of the wind, but he heard the voice. Oh how he heard the voice.

“_**WELL IF IT ISN’T THE SAVIORS OF PARIS COME TO TAKE ON THE BIG BAD SHRIEKER!**_” Its name suited the villain, Chat thought absently. It was so hard to hold a thought when he felt a headache threating to tear his head in two. It had to be the loudest sound he had ever heard and he gasped when the pressure of the wind about him caused his human ears to pop in protest. “_**NO ONE WANTED TO LISTEN TO ME. THEY WANTED TO LIMIT MY TALENTS…CORNER ME INTO THE TELEVISION HOST SHTICK WITHOUT HEARING MY DREAMS. NEVER AGAIN. NOT AFTER I’M DONE WITH YOU TWO. THE WHOLE WORLD WILL HEAR ME.**_”

It terrified him. Chat hadn’t even seen Shrieker’s face, but he could feel the walls closing in. Managing to lean his head up, Chat felt his staff slip before his body fell to the roof. 

A roof with decidedly bumpy, moving architecture. 

Moments passed before he realized Ladybug was beneath him underneath a flood of wind. And though this time he could not blush, he could feel her pushing him – hurriedly and with frantic hands – back and back and back until his feet met with the nothingness of the sky.

For some reason, as he fell, he thought of that silly quote he had heard making rounds on the internet about falling in love rather than rising. There was not a single moment of worry or fear. And when Ladybug took the brunt of their fall between her yo-yo and a suddenly audible grunt, his body jolted, suddenly thrown into the reality of the situation as he opened his eyes.

Far above them, an almost cartoonish wind of whipping whites and blues rushed among each other. If he tilted his head just right, he could spot a face in the sky. 

But now was not the time for sightseeing.

They were running in mere seconds and Chat felt his heart clench when he noticed Ladybug in front of him.

Those adorably red hair ties were gone. Cascading down Ladybug’s shoulders was a swath of dark hair. Chat had to physically keep himself from falling over.

“Gotta think…” said Ladybug. “Distance…think…_act_.”

“Your pigtails,” said Chat softly.

Her hand came about his wrist and pulled him around the corner of a building.

“We’ve got to focus,” she said sharply.

“But you’re _so pretty_-“

“_FOCUS_,” said Ladybug, louder.

Cat ears fell flat against his head before he looked away. “You’re right. What do we got?”

Allowing her breathing to calm, Ladybug closed her eyes. “The akuma has to be at the center of the wind storm. He seems capable, but dependent on his voice. When he spoke to us earlier, the winds picked up just after he opened his mouth. I have a hunch of how to defeat him. But just in case…_LUCKY CHARM_!”

The swirl of pinks and whites fluttering Ladybug’s hair to and fro just made her more adorable.

Out of the air fell a tube of glue with a lovely ladybug pattern. Ladybug’s mask crinkled as she grinned widely, glancing about before pointing behind him.

“I need your tail and for you to take care of that restaurant’s open area for me. Take the concrete and leave the tables with the umbrellas, please. Then wait for me behind the wreckage. I’ll need you for this next part too.”

“Your wish is my command, my lady,” said Chat Noir with a bow. He slipped his belt off determined not to think of how silly his outfit looked without it. Ladybug accepted it with a nod as he ran to complete his mission.

The restaurant was mostly barren when he arrived, but he made sure to check the inside and encourage nearby patrons to hide. 

When he was content that the coast was clear, he raised his clawed hand into the air. 

“_CATACLYSM_!” 

There was always a rush of adrenaline as the power of destruction rushed through his body and centralized in the palm of his hand. Usually it was a wild and pulsing sensation, but he knew it was better to be quick with a foe capable of knocking him off his feet. Immediately, his hand fell to the floor and the concrete began to crack with a darkened hue.

Chat bounded to the edge of the chasm just before the restaurant’s door just in time for the land in front of him to collapse. Bent low, he looked up in time to watch Ladybug swinging to and fro among the sunken umbrella stands.

Before he had time to stand back up, she had snatched the umbrellas free and tied them together with Chat’s belt. Ladybug tied part of her yo-yo to the bouquet of umbrellas before swirling that yo-yo up into the air and settling into a steady, circular rhythm.

She let go and below them, the umbrellas settled into an open pipe with a resounding metallic thud.

It was brilliant, but blaringly loud. 

“Couldn’t be a little quieter?” asked Chat, one eye shut as beyond them, the winds began to howl.

But instead of answering, Ladybug was placing a hand on his left thigh and Chat blubbered as he trembled.

“WHA-“

“Need to glue our feet down,” said Ladybug simply. True to her words, she pulled his leg up and swiftly spread glue along his shoe’s sole. “Other foot please.”

Still rattled, he allowed her to plop his foot firmly onto the ground. While he let her apply the glue to his right foot, he tested his left and was pleased to find himself securely bonded with the metal flooring. 

But Ladybug was running out of time.

Now rushing from down the street, the Shrieker was all too visible. His lady was right – Alec’s face was a light outline in the body of the akuma. Whirling forward, Ladybug spotted him before letting out a struggled grunt.

She grabbed his hand in the next instant.

“Whatever you do, Chat Noir, do _NOT_ let me go,” she insisted, sloppily applying glue to her hand.

“Huh?”

Her free hand was on his wrist as she united her sticky right hand to his left hand. Threading her fingers between his own, she clamped down tight.

“Do _NOT_ let me go,” she repeated.

“I never could,” he admitted.

Chat lamented later that he never would know if she had heard him over the roar in the sky.

“_**WHAT HAREBRAINED SCHEME IS THIS? I’LL BLOW THOSE MIRACULOUS OFF OF YOU!**_”

Once again the world became a streak of wind and unbearable sound. It struck him that if Ladybug needed him in that moment, he would be quite defenseless to help her. The thought struck fear into his chest – cold and spiked and clutching.

He trusted her. He would lay down his life for her own because he knew she would always save him. His brilliant, brilliant lady.

He held onto this thought as his body was bombarded by the wind, by raging words from Shrieker that were so high and so boisterous that Chat could no longer comprehend them.

It was his thoughts versus the drowning, _drowning_ sound. 

When she wasn’t his Ladybug, she was his sweet, unknown civilian. A civilian who, no matter what, had at least been in the vicinity when Reflekta struck. There was no other explanation for her taking Plagg. 

Had she been taking a stroll during a lovely Parisian afternoon?

Had she leaned against a building waiting for that boy she so dearly loved to take her on a date?

Had she snapped photos with Adrien? Ridden in his car? Designed the clothes for their photoshoot?

Was she really so near?

Although the glue was doing its job and he had no reason to, Chat squeezed Ladybug’s hand. It was only the small flex of her fingers that let him know she returned the gesture.

When his ears began to pop once more, Chat felt hope rise in his chest. That whirl of wind in front of them settled and sizzled and slowly descended as words picked up meaning once more. 

“_WON’T…STOP…NEARLY…GOT…you…_”

With one eye still squeezed shut, Chat glanced down where he saw the umbrellas dutifully spinning with Shrieker’s words. Looking up, managing to open his one eye despite the tear that formed there, he started at the sight of the wind dying and shifting an object into view.

Recognition settled in.

“Is that a microphone?” asked Chat.

“It’s the akuma!” Ladybug said, jerking the both of them to the left with a jolt of her yo-yo. “And it’s time to wind this battle down.”

A pun. She made a pun. 

How he loved his Bugaboo.

The crack of the yo-yo broke out as it wrapped its way about the akumitized object. Snapping the yo-yo, back, Ladybug caught the microphone with ease. Smashing it to the ground revealed a single purple butterfly.

Clean up was quick from there. Ladybug healed the butterfly, released her magical bugs for healing, and (most sorrowfully) separated her had from his own to check her newly tied pigtails. Nodding, she walked up to a forlorn Alec seated at a righted umbrella stand.

“Ladybug? Chat Noir? Why am I…oh no…_OH NO_! Don’t tell me that I was akumitized.”

“I’m afraid so, Mr. Cataldi. But you’re safe now. Everything is okay,” Ladybug said reassuringly.

Alec studied them for a moment before a grin spread over his face.

“You’re right, Ladybug! I’m sure I can use this experience to land that role. I was aiming for a hero’s part, but the villain is paid just as well! This movie is going to be a HIT! Plus, it’s a branch out from hosting, so I’m bound to get more requests for films pouring in. And I have you both to thank for it! Gotta split if I’m gonna talk to my agent in time!”

He was off with a worried Ladybug extending a hand after him. Chat walked up to her side, frowning.

Sighing, Ladybug looked to Chat. “That…that wasn’t what I was trying to get across to him.”

“Is it just me or is Alec Cataldi literally _the worst_?” Chat asked.

The beep of their miraculous was his answer.

“Yikes! One paw print away from a reveal!” said Chat.

“Remember – come back afterwards. I’ll find you on the rooftops,” Ladybug said, darting back behind the restaurant. 

Chat chose the opposite direction, heart beating faster at the thought of more time with Ladybug. Her existence felt like a beautiful mirage of waterfalls in the hottest of deserts and he was getting the joy of seeing her again.

But when he returned, newly suited up and eager, he saw her tear-stained face.

Immediately, he joined her on the roof’s shingles with concern and caution in his eyes.

“Ladybug?”

“I’ll cut to the chase. Master Fu gave me a new rule yesterday.” Her normally confident voice had fallen into a distraught monotone. “If we find out each other’s identities…we have to give up our Miraculous.”


End file.
